Check out these articles from our sister site, NextStepU, for a day in the life of these cosmetology careers.

* Careers in cosmetology (with related career video)
* Hairstylist

Thinking about a career in cosmetology or other beauty-related field? Start your search here for a college that offers a program that will help you reach your dreams!

* Desktop publisher
* Art careers
* Art director
* Graphic designer
* Photojournalist

Thinking about heading back for a college degree in an art or design program? Start your search here!

Then consider enrolling in an adult learner program for art and design.

Design is a fast-paced, competitive field that relies as much on persistence and follow through as it does on your unique ideas.

Designers—whether they work on a computer, with clothing or in another medium—take their creative ideas from conception through implementation. That could mean deciding the look and layout of a magazine, Web site, clothing line or more. The best designers are detail-oriented, computer savvy and have at least an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Design is also a field in which you may work as a freelancer. That means you might work for several different companies at the same time—maybe from home. Freelancers should be business savvy as well as talented in the field, as they are responsible for invoicing clients, selling their skills, and keeping their books.

Have you thought about pursuing an art or design career?

Check out the careers that you might be eligible for:
* Architecture (average salary: $70,320)
* Game art (average salary: $56,330)
* Graphic design (average salary: $42,400)
* Interior design (average salary: $44,950)
* Photography (average salary: $29,440)

Search for colleges in your area that offer degrees in art and design programs!

But if you want to earn a lot of money right out of college, check out this list from Laurence Shatkin’s recently released book, 250 Best-Paying Jobs, Second Edition.

“Within these occupations the workers who earn at the 10th percentile—meaning that 90 percent of the workers in the occupation earn more than they do—still earn at least $51,540. This means they earn more than 75 percent of all American wage-earners,” explains Shatkin.

Here are 10 careers that pay newbies well:
Orthodontists
Beginning Wage: $100,980
Median Earnings: $166,400+

Prosthodontists
Beginning Wage: $72,710
Median Earnings: $166,400+

Nuclear Engineers
Beginning Wage: $68,300
Median Earnings: $97,080

Computer and Information Scientists, Research
Beginning Wage: $57,480
Median Earnings: $97,970

Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School
Beginning Wage: $55,580
Median Earnings: $83,880

Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers
Beginning Wage: $55,330
Median Earnings: $111,680

Lawyers
Beginning Wage: $54,460
Median Earnings: $110,590

Financial Managers
Beginning Wage: $53,860
Median Earnings: $99,330

Chemical Engineers
Beginning Wage: $53,730
Median Earnings: $84,680

Mathematicians
Beginning Wage: $53,570
Median Earnings: $95,150

Stacey Hanke, author of the new book Yes You Can,
offers these tips to improve your communication skils:

· Increase your awareness. We don’t know what we don’t know. We have this mystery of not knowing what others see and hear when we communicate: over the phone or face-to-face. If you don’t know how you and your message are perceived, you will never make improvements for greater results. Pay attention to your listener. Watch and listen for their reactions and responses. Learn how what you say affects people.

· Pause more often! A mistake most of us make is saying more than our listeners want and need to hear. Slow down your speech! Deliberately introduce more PAUSES. What perception do you create when you hear a speaker speaking quickly? PAUSE Or when they clutter their sentences with non-words such as; um, uh, you know, like, but and so on. PAUSE If you want to show you can think on your feet and allow your listeners to understand your message, replace your non-words with a PAUSE. Less is more.

· Connect or contact. Who are you talking to? Look and listen for the clues they get what you are saying. With eye connection you gain trust and connect with your listeners. If you talk you must listen more and really hear what the other person is saying. Without the meaningful connection, your listener will lose interest, question your message and have doubts about you.

· Confident entrance. Do you walk into a room like you belong there? Within seven seconds others determine if you’re confident or uncertain. Your posture will communicate how you’re feeling without you saying a word. It’s the easiest way to immediately convey confidence yet the quickest way to lose confidence if not done effectively. Stand straight! Recognize your listeners individually by connecting with their eyes. Look people in the eye. Recognize them individually with your face and smile.

· Use technology power wisely. Face-to-face communication should not be a lost art. Ask yourself what communication medium to use to best influence action? Choose the most personal form of communication that allows for the most meaningful communication for the situation. Don’t rely on technology, especially with complex or deeply personal communications of importance.

· Gesture to create a positive visual impression. When your gestures and speech convey the same information, they’re easier to understand. Confident speakers use their gestures to add emphasis to their words. Avoid fidgeting with your rings, fingers, pen, etc. by expanding your arms from your sides, make the gesture consistent with your message and then bring your arms back to your sides.

· Speak to be heard! Your voice is your greatest asset. Do you sound like you mean what you’re saying? The sound of your voice shapes the attitude of your listeners even more than the words you speak. If you want to be perceived as confident, use the 1 – 10 scale. When speaking to a group of 15 or more, you must be at a 7 – 8 on the volume scale. From here, you adjust your volume based on the group and room size. Don’t whisper or talk too low for whatever occasion. Adjust your volume for maximum effect.

· Use fear as your motivator. Allow your fear of presenting to propel you forward. Channel you fear into your work. Doubt is good as it raises your awareness so you pay more attention and focus your mind on what is right before you. Fear is the greatest motivator you have. Realize that whatever you focus on becomes more real to you. You therefore can channel and use your capabilities better and do your best to help the people you can help the most.

· Speak less and listen more! Pay more attention to your audience. Listening reveals what’s important to your listeners. Talk directly to them and look them in the eyes when you do. YOU are the message. STOP talking to your visual aids; PowerPoint, notes, handouts, etc. Instead, allow your listeners to communicate directly to YOU so that you confirm that they understand your message.

· Make discipline your new habit. You need to want it bad enough to begin TODAY making face-to-face communication your priority. Practice doesn’t only make things perfect—practice makes things permanent. Even if all you can do is practice in real time, on the job, on the firing line, ask for constructive feedback on a specific behavior before and after your conversations and presentations.

“Even tiny little changes and improvements in how you communicate can be crucial and extremely beneficial,” says Stacey. “That’s because in most cases, the incremental changes people make can result in instantaneous and dramatic improvements in behavior, communications, performance, customer services, relationships, branding, and profits. They can see it right away and the outcomes of the changes they make are tangibly documented based on what happens.”

“If it works, do it again. If it doesn’t stop and do something better,” she says. “That’s the essence of continuous improvement”.

And the best job? Drumroll, please…

Actuary.

Software engineer, computer systems analyst, biologist and historian round out the top five.

The last five?

Garbage collector, welder, dairy farmer, ironworker, lumberjack and roustabout.

If you don’t want to end up in the bottom five, why not start here?

Here’s their list of the top jobs (and how much you can earn). Click on each job to find out where to study the major that can get you into that field!

1. Community Service Coordinator/Manager: Most earn $42,110 to $73,470, with the top 10% making $96,000+. This field is expected to grow 48% by 2016. You’ll need a BA and passion for a cause.

2. Personal Financial Adviser: Earn between $46,390 to $119,290, with the top 10% making $166,000+. This is one of the 10 fastest growing occupations; it’s projected to boom 41% by 2016. Perfect for those with a solid business background plus education in the field. You’ll probably also need Series 7 and Series 63 or 66 licenses.

3. Environmental Scientist: Most earn $4,340 to $78,980, top 10% make $103,000+. The field is expected to grow 25% by 2016. Most positions require a master’s degree in environmental science, hydrology or a related science.

4. Registered Nurse: Salaries range from $51,640 to $76,570, with the top 10% making $92,000+. A projected 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created by 2016. You’ll need a BS or associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program.

5. Computer and Information Systems Manager: Most earn $88,240 to $141,890, with the top 10% making $166,000+. This field will add 43,000 jobs by 2016. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree and sometimes a master’s degree—consider an MBA with a focus in technology.

6. Education Administrator: Earn between $68,360 to $102,830, the top 10% can expect $125,000+. Why now? Many will retire in the next decade. You’ll need experience as a teacher or in a field such as recruiting. Some positions require a master’s degree.

7. Strategic/Crisis Communication Professional: Salaries range from $38,400 to $71,670, the top 10% make $98,000+. This field is expected to create 43,000 new jobs by 2016, and you’ll need public relations experience.

8. Accountant: Expect to earn $45,900 to $78,210, top 10% $102,000+. The field will grow 18% by 2016, adding 226,000 jobs, and these positions are available in every industry. You’ll need a degree in accounting or a related field. You have to pass an exam to become a CPA.

9. Human Resources Specialist: Most earn $35,020 to $67,730, top 10% earn $84,000+. There will be 147,000 new specialist jobs created by 2016. To specialize you may need an MBA with a focus in HR management.

10. Small-Scale Niche Farmer: Make $26,800 to $76,230, top 10% earn $97,000+. Why now? Small farms are growing at a rate of 10,000 a year. No prerequisites here—training is done on the job.